Railway shipping container



Jan. 2, 1934. I R. FARIESI 1,942,22

RAILWAY SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed Nov; 21, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FJG- I a 5 a r ;A U

EZGE N WITNIESES: I N V EN TOR:

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Jan. 2, 1934. R F IE 1,942,022

RAILWAY SHIPPING CONTAINEQ set 2 Filed Nov. 21 1932 FJCi I BY W ATTORNEYS.

?atented Jan. 2, 1934 answer smrrmc con'rsmsa Robert Fairies, St. Davids, Pa.

Application November 21, 1932 Serial No. 643,677

8 Claims. (Cl. ism-9.1)

from a vehicle platform, either to a station plat form, orlto another vehicle. A common expedient is to employ overhead hoisting mechanism adapted to engage lifting hooks on the containers whereby they may be raised and shifted from one location to another. At many small wayside stations such mechanism is not available and is too expensive to install. In addition to the use of hoisting mechanism, it has also beenproposed to employ castors at the base of the containers, or to employ lift trucks which raise the containers from their platform. However, by reason of the varying levels and distances which are encountered 'as between two vehicle platforms, or between a vehicle platform and a station platform, the use of castor-equipped containers, or the use of a lift'truck, necessitates a bridge ca pable-of sustaininga heavy load which at times is concentrated at the gap between the platforms. Such a bridge must be of heavy material and therefore difficult to transport from place to place.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the above recited difiiculties by equipping containers with propelling mechanism so disposed beneath the floor as not to interfere with the lading space, and so designed as to render the use of a bridge between platforms unneces sary. To this end the invention utilizes a traction belt and motor forming a permanent partof a container and preferably deriving its power from an external source, such as the battery or generator of a motor truck, or from supply lines leading along a station platform. By virtue of the use of a traction belt, the container of this invention can readily traverse the gap between two platforms, irrespective of difierences in the level of the platforms, and without the necessity of the one platform abutting squarely against the other.

Other more specific objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description hereinafter set forth of one embodiment or example of the practice 01 the invention, the description having reference to the accompanyingdrawings. Of the drawings:

Fig. I represents an end view of a motor truck and freight car, showing a container of my invention in the act of moving from the platform of I one vehicle to the platform of the other.

Fig. 11 represents an enlarged side elevation of the container of Fig. I, with certain portions of the base of the container broken away to il- 35 lustrate clearly the propelling mechanism therebeneath.

Fig. III represents an enlarged end elevation of the base of the container with certainportions thereof broken away to illustrate the propelling '70 mechanism; and

- Fig. IV represents an enlarged view 01 the switch panel at which the propulsion oi the container is controlled.

The container A shown in the drawings is sub- 1 stantially similar as to its dimensions and exterior characteristics to containers now used for the transportation of less-than-carload freight. It comprises briefly a box frame having sides 1,

ends 2, and a roof 3; At the corners of the roof 3 3, lifting hooks 4 are provided whereby the container may be hoisted by an overhead crane or similar mechanism. Double folding doors 5 are disposed within each side wall 1. The floor 6 of the container is supported by transverse channelbeams '1 disposed beneath the ends thereof, and all of the propelling mechanism hereinafter described is mounted beneath the floor-6, thus preserving a substantially cubic space within the container for the lading.

The propelling mechanism. comprises, generally, in the present example of the invention, electric motors 8, reduction gears 9, and traction belts 10. The motors 8 are preferably disposed cen 'trally between the ends of the container and are connected through couplings 11 with the reducticn gears 9. The reduction gears 9 are in turn connected to driving sprockets i2 whichengage the traction belts 10. The driving sprockets 12 are supported in bearings 13 attached tothe channel beams 7. v

As shown in Fig. III, the motors 8 and the associated mechanism are mounted on one side of the container. At the other side of the container idle sprockets 14 are provided. As diagrammatically indicated at 15, tensioning devices of the character commonly used on tractors may be utilized for urging the idle sprockets 14 away from the driving sprockets 12 and thereby tensioning the traction belts 10. Intermediate the driving 0 sprockets 12 and the idle sprockets 14, rollers 16, 16a at the base of the container serve to support the traction belts and give them the desired geometrical shape.

In order that the container may travel from a low level platform to a high level platform, the driving sprockets l2 and idle sprockets 14 are disposed above the rollers 16, 16a, thus producing upwardly and outwardly inclined surfaces for the belt at 17. The inclination afforded to the traction belts at 17 makes it possible for the container to move over the sharp edge of a raised platform.

Moreover, in order not to place an undue strain by virtue of the concentration of the heavy load of the container at the edge of a platform, when the tractor is climbing from one level to another, or falling from one level to another, the traction belt is movably supported at the inclined surfaces 18 by the rollers 16a.

It will be especially observed that each reduction gear 9, as shown in Fig. II, includes therein, .as part of the driving elements, a worm gear 19 which meshes with a spur gear 20 forming part of the driven elements. Thus the reduction gears 9 are non-reversible as between their driving and driven elements, and accordingly the container is self-braking. One of the difliculties experienced with castor equipped containers mounted on railway cars is that such a container has a tendency to roll from side to side incident to the swaying motion of the car. As a safeguard against the accidental dislodgment of a container on a railway car, it is of the utmost importance that the container be stable or rigidly secured to the car. floor. With the use of a traction belt and reduction gear of the character described, the container of this invention is in stability while mounted on a flat car, and offers very great resistance to sliding movement toward one side or the other. While the reduction gears 9 are nonreversible as between the driving and driven ends, it is to be understood that the driving elements thereof may be turned in either direction and that the motors 8 are reversible. In fact, directional control of the container incident to its movement from one platform to another is ob- 'tained through independent operation of the motors 8. By operating one motor 8 in the desired direction while the other motor is stopped, the container may be steered or skewed and if the container happens to be obliquely seated upon a platform, it may be readily squared by independent operation of its motors.

As a source of power for the operation of the motors 8, either the battery or generator of a motor truck may be utilized, or there may be supplied at a station platform supply lines leading along the length thereof. From the source of electrical energy flexible electric cables 21 lead to a control panel 22. on the outside of the container.

While numerous devices may be employed for effecting directional control of the container, and the present invention is not directed to the con- ;trol circuits, there is shown in Fig. IV an example of a control panel which can be'conveniently used. This control panel has thereon sockets 23 .into which are plugged the terminals of conducof the motor. In an obvious manner the operat-- the levels of the platforms 29, 30, and in the gap therebetween without eifecting the movement of the container from one vehicle to the other.

- In order to guard the propelling mechanism for the containers against injury through impact with neighboring containers, and against the admission thereto of snow or rain, the side walls 1 and end walls 2 extend downward below the container floor 6 enveloping substantially all of the propelling mechanism with the exception of the lower half of the traction belts 10 and the rollers 16, 1611.

There is particular advantage in providing doors at each side of the container, and in arrangi500 ing the traction belts so that they are directed transversely of the vehicle platform from one door-equipped wall to, the other. This permits the containers to be loaded or unloaded from either side, while standing on a freight car, and 1l )5 it enables the containers to be readily shifted from one car to another, or from a car to a motor or station platform, or vice versa. Moreover, by extending the traction belts substantially to the side walls of the container the movement of the 3.10 container from one platform to another is facilitated, for such movement is not effected by irregularities in the platform surfaces.

While one particular form of shipping container has been described and illustrated herein, 115 it will be apparent that various changes may be made as to the form of the container and the mechanism including a motor, a traction belt extendmg'transversely of the vehicle platform, and

reduction gearing, connecting said motor and 13% traction belt.

2. In a shipping container adapted for carriage on railway freight cars or like vehicles,

comprising a box frame, defining a lading space substantially corresponding in width to the width 136 of the car platform; propelling mechanism disposed beneath the floor of said frame, said mechanism including a motor, a traction belt extending transversely of the on platform, reduction gear-- ingconnecting said motor and traction belt, and a flexible current supplying cable leading from an'exterior source of power to said motor. 3. In a shipping container adapted for carriage on railway freight cars or like vehicles, 5 comprising a box frame; propelling mmhanlsm disposed beneath the floor of said frame, said mechanism including motors, traction belts beneath the floor of said frame near each end thereof and extending transversely trom'one side lot tilt of the frame to the other, and reduction gearing connecting said motors and traction belts.

4. In a shipping container adapted for carriage on railway freight cars or like vehicles, comprising a box frame; propelling mechanism disposed beneath the floor of said frame, said mechanism including independently controlled motors, traction belts beneath the floor of said frame near each end thereof and extending transversely from one side of the frame to the other, reduction gearing connecting said motors and traction belts, and a flexible current supplying cable leading from an exterior source of power to said motors.

5. In a shipping container adapted for carriage on railway freight cars or like vehicles, comprising a box frame having doors at each side thereof; propelling mechanism beneath the floor of the frame, said propelling mechanism including a motor, a traction belt extending beneath the floor of the frame substantially from one door-equipped wall to the other, and reduction gearing connecting said motor and traction belt.

6. In a shipping container adapted for carriage on railway freight cars or like vehicles, comprising a box frame; propelling mechanism disposed beneath the floor thereof; said mechanism including a motor, a traction belt extending beneath the floor of the frame, and reduction gearing connecting said motor and traction belt,

said reduction gearing being non-reversible as to the driving and driven elements thereof.

7. In a shipping container adapted for carriage on railway freight cars or like vehicles, comprising a box frame having side and end walls defining a lading space substantially corresponding in width to that of the car platform, the walls extending beneath the bottom of the floor; propelling mechanism disposed beneath the floor of said frame between the end walls thereof, said propelling mechanism including a motor, and a traction belt extending transversely of the frame between the end walls and driven by said motor.

8. In a shipping container adapted for carriage on railway freight cars or like vehicles, comprising a box frame having side and end walls defining a lading space substantially corresponding in width to that of the car platform, the walls extending beneath the bottom of the floor; propelling mechanism disposed beneath the floor of said frame between the end walls thereof, said propelling mechanism including a motor, a traction belt extending transversely of the frame between the end walls and driven by said motor, the lower portion of said traction belt being inclined upwardly and outwardly at the ends thereof, means at the base of the frame for movably supporting the traction belt at said inclined portions, and a flexible current supplying cable detachably connected to said frame and leading from an exterior source of power to said motor.

ROBERT FARIES. 

